The General Chair of the Golkar Party, Airlangga Hartarto, has launched the Golkar Institute as a forum for all Golkar stakeholders to gain in-depth knowledge of government science and public policy. A new movement that must be supported by the entire Golkar community.
However, Airlangga Hertanto's policy must be able to embrace all Golkar political elites. As we know, former Golkar General Chair Akbar Tandjung through the Akbar Tanjung Institute has organized the National Political Leadership School (SKPB).
SKPB is proof of Akbar's concern for Indonesian youth. One of the reasons for organizing the SKPB was that Akbar was the founder of the Cipayung group, the forerunner of the Indonesian Youth National Committee (KNPI). This SKPB has graduated more than 10 batches. The participants came from the Cipayung Plus group. In fact, there are representatives of the Iranian embassy who have been participants in the SKPB.
This SKPB program is like a leadership course. Similar programs are also carried out by the Wahid Institute, Megawati Institute, and the civil society organization ONE NAMA. Apart from them, there are many special political and election programs that require participants to pay tuition fees, such as the UI Puskapol and several impromptu courses in the lead-up to the election.
The question is what is the purpose of the school of politics and elections? And what do students learn?
To answer this question, we must know the legal propositions that require political education. Article 11 of Law Number 2 of 2008 (later revised to Law Number 2 of 2008) concerning Political Parties requires political parties to organize political education. Not only for cadres, but political education for the general public.
The Purpose of Political Education
Many perceptions have given negative stigma to political parties since the independence period, the old order, the new order, until the reformation period. This problem, if we draw a common thread, all because of politics that are not ideal. People blame political parties and some politicians blame the voters for money politics.
Therefore, political education becomes mandatory on the condition that it does not require students to be registered as members of certain parties. Because the purpose of political education is to form a voting society that understands politics. Thus, the initial goal of political education was not to recruit prospective members.
More broadly, political education is to make the voting public smarter. Voters are expected to know political theory, political history, parties, elections, democracy and laws related to political packages. All of these are the basis for the voting community to make political choices, support, vote, and criticize the election winners.
However, the public prefers political education carried out by certain institutions. Even though the institution is a representative of party representatives, such as Akbar Tanjung and Megawati. These two institutions have even held political education and elections for a long time. Of course, the focus of education uses different theories and materials.
This problem stems from the political rigidity of understanding the law. In fact, not all people who take political education from one party prove their support for a political party. It is not like that. Political education only educates does not require membership. If there are conditions immediately become a member. That is called training for candidate members/cadres of political parties, not political education.
Political Education Teaching Materials
By understanding of the explanations above, it is clear that political education has a wider scope than the training of party member candidates. Therefore, the things learned are general material to educate the public about politics.
If you look at the Megawati Institute, they organize special political education to study the political narrative of the nation's founders. The material is to look at the figures and their thoughts, such as the economics of Hatta, the nationalist Soekarno, the Socialist Syahrir, the Political Islam of Hamka and Agus Salim, the law and politics of other figures.
On the other hand, the Akbar Tanjung Institute provides education with courses on political and government systems, electoral systems and management, law and democracy, election strategy and winning, laws related to democracy and elections, ethics and political philosophy and other general materials.
Meanwhile, SATU NAMA in Yogyakarta held a special course for legislative candidates. Thus, the political school teaches about the basics of democracy and elections, regulations related to elections, reading KPU and Bawaslu regulations, seeing the legal basis for prohibiting and allowing actions in campaigns, how to use social media, writing, and speaking to solve community problems.
If we look at the three examples above, political education for the general public consists of political knowledge. The teaching materials consist of political theory and thought, substance and tactics as well as political programs, party political policies, people's representatives, regional heads and the central government.
While the material on democracy learns all things about the beginning of democracy. Because it will tell the difference between the concepts of democracy, monarchy, and authoritarianism. In the context of procedural democracy, the public must learn about the technical choices of elections, from where and how the Election Law, articles relating to law and sanctions in elections. Also the rights and obligations of voters.
From the internal party providing education, the party can tell the history of political parties. It all starts with when, how, where, and who is the founder of the party. Party statutes and by-laws. The same applies to party programs and what are the benefits of being a party member. This is necessary because choosing to support it should not be forced.
Institute Towards University
Initially, the party organized special education for members. Then, the party's internal policy is to organize education by institutionalizing programs in the form of institutes. Some have established institutes that provide course programs. But there are those who organize institutes to get educational degrees in accordance with university policies.
This is done by the Golkar Institute which provides political education for the general public, course programs for the benefit of the party, research for data banks before publishing party policies, and postgraduate education programs. This latter program will award a degree similar to that issued by a university or college.
Seeing and reading the goals of the Golkar Institute, this is a program that will provide progress in political education. Many people will study at the Golkar Institute. Because they need knowledge and degrees for politicians' curriculum vitae. It could also be that this school accepts students from other parties. If that is the case, the political coalition will lead to the National Political University of Golkar.
